USFK Commander Urges Caution on OPCON Transfer During Lee Jaemyung’s Term: "Conditions Must Not Be Overlooked"

Javier Brunson, Commander of United States Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command, expressed caution regarding the Lee Jaemyung administration’s plan to transfer wartime operational control (OPCON) during its term, stating, "We cannot dilute or overlook the conditions just to meet the timeline."

Javier Brunson, Commander of United States Forces Korea and Combined Forces Command. Yonhap News

On December 12, Commander Brunson attended an online seminar co-hosted by the Korea-US Alliance Foundation and the Korea-US Forces Veterans Association, where he said, "The transfer of OPCON must be pursued based on conditions." He continued, "President Lee Jaemyung aims to achieve OPCON transfer within his term, and we are aware of the target date by which the conditions must be met." However, he added, "We must also be able to say that we might not be able to reach that goal."

The 'conditions' required for OPCON transfer appear to refer to the military capabilities of the South Korean armed forces. On this point, he stated, "We need to verify whether the conditions set in the past are still valid today," adding, "This is directly linked to our readiness posture." He further emphasized, "Ultimately, the OPCON transfer should not make us weaker, but stronger."

Commander Brunson also addressed the persistent rumors of a reduction in US Forces Korea following the launch of a potential second Trump administration, saying, "It is legally stipulated that US Forces Korea must be maintained at a minimum of 28,500 personnel," and, "We are maintaining 28,500 as the minimum and are in a state of combat readiness." In connection with this, on December 10 (local time), the US House of Representatives passed next year’s National Defense Authorization Act, which prohibits the use of funds to reduce the size of US Forces Korea.